Screen goes nuts when FCPX is running

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Level 2

199 points

Screen goes nuts when FCPX is running

Something unusual has started happening when I am using Final Cut Pro X. When I do something else which requires graphics (like Mission Control, for instance) the screen goes nuts and multicoloured, like a 60's rock concert poster. If I quit FCPX, it solves the problem, although for some reason the title menu bar appears distorted still, as if the colour values are messed up.

Any idea why this could be happening and only when FCPX is running? It happened using Mojave and still with Catalina, by the way. Could there be some issue with my graphics card in my iMac?

Posted on Nov 24, 2019 12:37 PM

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Answer 1

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Nov 24, 2019 9:21 PM in response to Cartoonguy

I tried running without SuperTab and the problem is not happening, so I'm thinking there must have been something to do with the last update of FCPX working with SuperTab, which it seems is when this started happening. So I will stop using SuperTab until they resolve this. Sorry for troubling everyone here about this when it seems to be this small utility causing it.

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Answer 2

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,777 points

Nov 24, 2019 3:52 PM in response to Cartoonguy

It does look like the increased contrast, reduce transparency problem, but AFAIK that never happened in Mojave. Wonder if there are any other Accessibility/Display functions that might produce this problem.

Try a couple of things. See if the problem occurs in a new admin user. Also, run Activity Monitor and see if there’s any weird behavior in the GPU.

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Answer 3

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Nov 24, 2019 4:19 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Yeah, and for me, it happened in Mojave too. I do have a utility called SuperTab, http://www.supertab.me/SuperTab.html, which is one thing which triggers it, but again, only when FCPX is running. Maybe it's just Supertab, but I've had that app for about a year and this issue is only just recent. I will watch Activity monitor and report back.

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Answer 4

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Nov 25, 2019 10:50 AM in response to Cartoonguy

Further news. I heard from the SuperTab developer and he suggested turning off the blur BG function when SuperTab is invoked and that fixed it. No more screen going crazy. FCPX and SuperTab blurring the BG must mess with the same graphics function. So I am pleased as I really like SuperTab, but also a good lesson about third party apps doing things like this. Thanks all, for your suggestions.

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